The Antient and Present State of the County of Down. Containing A Chorographical Description, with the Natural and Civil History of the same..

Dublin: Printed by A. Reilly, For Edward Exshaw, 1744. xx, 271pp, [21]. With a large engraved folding map. Contemporary tree-calf, contrasting red morocco lettering-piece, gilt. Lightly rubbed. Later armorial bookplate to FEP M.A. of Dublin, and a member of the Irish Bar, Daniel De La Cherois (1825- 1905) of Donaghadee, County Down, inked ownership inscription to head of title: 'Danl. De La Cherois / Donaghadee 29 Decr. 1859', typed note (signed by De La Cherois) tipped-in to p. 252, manuscript annotation to p.253, very occasional spotting. The first edition of an authoritative survey of County Down, the first history of its kind in Ireland, co-authored by topographer Charles Smith (c. 1715-1762) and historian Walter Harris (1686-1761). The work, dedicated to Sir Hans Sloane, was intended to be the first in of a series and, in order to facilitate this objective, Smith, with others, founded the Physico-Historical Society in Dublin in May, 1744. Under the auspices of the society, he published The Antient and Present State of County Waterford (1746) and The Antient and Present State of the County and City of Cork (1750). Following a dispute arising from moneys he argued were owed to him by the society for his work, Smith departed, taking with him in recompense an undisclosed number of copies of his history of County Down to sell himself. He continued his surveying work, and in 1756 published The Antient and Present State of County Kerry, leaving surveys of another three counties (Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary) unfinished in manuscript form. ESTC T144670.. First edition. 8vo.